LORAIN, Ohio – Jon Laird’s pitching strategy heading into St. Edward’s 2014 Lorain District Championship game against Amherst Steele was to keep the batters off the base.

Not a new strategy but a simple one. Then after just one inning, Laird’s strategy changed.

Due to his strong pitching and his defense, Laird and the Eagles won the game 11-1 against Amherst in five innings.

“They helped me a lot, just knowing I can throw strikes but also let them put it in play and get outs,” Laird said of his teammates."

Laird allowed two Comets on base in the top of the first inning after he walked and plunked the second and third batter he faced, respectively.

The bottom of the first inning, though, was when St. Edward started to change Laird’s strategy. The Eagels’ Joe Weinsenseel was hit by a pitch. Will DeVito hit a single. Kyle Hegedus laid a bunt that loaded the bases. Darien Knowles knocked one to left field that was dropped, allowing Weinsenseel to score. Todd Price knocked an RBI-single. Same for Shayne Erny.

Six straight batters reached base on four runs giving St. Edward a 4-0 lead. That’s when Laird’s strategy began to change. He knew if the Comets were able to get a piece of the ball, his eight teammates on the field would back him up.

St. Edward coach Joe Kasl said the string of hits was just the way the Eagles try to approach each at-bat.

“They just put it together,” Kasl said. “Do the right thing at the plate and get a good pitch to hit. They were ready. They got good pitches. They put good swings on it. It just worked out that way today.”

Amherst coach Matt Rositano knew his team had its chances.

“St. Edward was just better today,” Rositano said. “I thought early in the game especially, we had runners in scoring position. We had a chance to take an early lead, cut into that four-nothing lead in the second inning.

“We weren’t able to get the big hit and they did. Kind of changes the complexion of the game.”

In a regular season meeting, St. Edward won 10-8.

In the second inning of the playoff game, the Comets had a runner on first and second to start the inning and had its next three batters retired. The same situation happened at the top of the third before a double play left Amherst’s Casey McConihe standing on third. Amherst would strand nine runners.

Also early in the game, the umpires and coaches had several discussions about if Laird balked. The next inning, Amherst was called for a balk.

St. Edward would go on to load the bases with the top of the order in the second but score just one run. Then at the top of the third, the top of the order would have runners on first and second before Kyle Hegedus came up to bat for his third hit, a double that turned into a triple on an errant throw.

“That was the dagger,” Rositano said.

The Eagles would score three in the third and then three more in fourth. With runners on first and third, Erny read a sign wrong and got caught in a rundown.

“They were holding him at firstbase,” Kasl said. “He had the steal sign and got caugh off guard a bit … He did a good job of reading the rundown and when to break for home.”

The Eagles turned it into a run when Price patiently waited for the infielders to be too distracted with Erny before he tagged up and raced home to score just before the throw from the shortstop. As he slid in, Amherst catcher Justin Mott threw his head back in an act of frustration.

The Comets were able to able to put one on the board in the fifth inning when Kody Bledsoe knocked in Aleks Crisler from second base.

The Eagles will play the winner of the Strongsville District game between St. Ignatius and North Royalton.

While Laird did win his district medal around his neck and smiled for photos, he didn’t want to say anything about being a champion.

“We’ve got four more games left,” he said. “I don’t want to get satisfied yet.”

Contact high school sports reporter Stephanie Kuzydym by email (skuzydym@cleveland.com) or on Twitter (@stephkuzy). Or log in and leave a message in the comments section below.

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